January 30, 2017 03:40 PM UTC

Gov. Hickenlooper Condemns Trump Muslim Ban

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• by: Colorado Pols

Here’s a statement today from Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, denouncing President Donald Trump’s executive order banning travel from several Muslim-majority nations in the strongest possible terms:

“The vast majority of refugees admitted to the United States are families, mainly comprised of women and children, and all refugees are admitted only after they make it through the world’s toughest vetting program. Many of the refugees helped US forces, often in violent and chaotic circumstances, risking their lives in the process.

We can and should continue to work with the federal government and Homeland Security to ensure that the verification system used to screen refugees is as stringent as possible. But we can do that while we honor our values as Americans. Religious tests and blanket bans diminish those values and injure our international reputation. The executive order serves as a powerful recruiting tool for our enemies and needlessly antagonizes our allies around the world. We believe that Americans will be less safe, at home and abroad, if the executive order is fully implemented. [Pols emphasis] We urge the President to rescind the executive order.”

Here’s some additional information we were forwarded that gives some scope of both the number affected in or in transit to Colorado, as well as the number of refugees who have already been resettled here in recent months:

Since October 1, 2016, Colorado has resettled 736 refugees, of whom 88 were Syrian. With the executive order in effect, estimated arrivals to Colorado for the fiscal year will total 1,042, or half the number expected before the order was signed.

Of those who had been set to come to Colorado between now and the end of the fiscal year, 83 would have been Syrians. Until the executive order, Colorado had expected 2,195 refugees in FY17. With the order, that decreases to an estimated 1,042. Colorado had expected 55 refugees in the next few days, including families from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia.

As you can see, Colorado welcomes refugees. Colorado has historically welcomed them, welcomes them today, and would continue to do so if Trump were to rescind his executive order. All we can hope is that Hickenlooper’s statement is heard over the din–and America’s enemies and allies alike understand that what’s happening is not Colorado’s choice.